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Thursday, October 9, 2008
Why aboriginal leaders should have an education...
This past friday, the Grand Chief of my community of Kahnawake was doing the 'MCK friday' political corner on K103.7fm radio. I called to ask the question "should Natives vote in the upcoming federal election?". His answer, "no, its not our place and I don't believe we are part of that system". What kind of answer is that? Out of 10,000 community members only 1,100 people (family members of the candidates) vote for "band council" elections. The band council system is enacted under the 'Indian Act', that racist piece of legislature that says Natives are not able to make their own decisions and are considered "wards of the state". Its a foreign entity and he's part of that entity. So therefore, its an oxymoron. He's an idiot! My second question was under what constitution was he enacting all these new "Mohawk laws and community hearings", he answered ILLC. The correct answer was a possible of two choices, the Canadian Constitution or the Kaienerakowa (Great Law), under which he has no authority to act on. His answer came from a form of corporate law...This is not "leadership", this is dictatorship and idiotic. How are the people supposed to exercise rights if they are told not to do something that will benefit them in the longrun? Even if its not "our way", we have to take everything that we got to fight for what little we have left. Please NOTE: The Indian Act allows for a "band council" system, making Natives "puppet leaders". The so-called leaders do nothing but embezzle monies for themselves and their personal enterprises, leading to an abuse of "rights" given under the 'Indian Act'. The supposed "self-governance" entrusted to First Nations is carried out in such a way that major enterprises and illicit indutries are "legally justified" under "Traditional Law" which is bull. Whatever suits their purpose for those times is what they consider "law" to benefit and gain monetary status off the backs of those who get nothing in return.So who's line is it anyways? No wonder why the Grand Chief said not to vote in the Federal elections...if Natives vote for the Federal government, then there is no need for a band council!I rather have no "band council" system and eliminate the bureaucracy to save money and go back to having the 'Indian Agent' (as long as its another Native with brains)to deal directly with the government instead of a bunch of nepotistic criminals protected by their own "laws", making us all look bad.
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2 comments:
I've been thinking a lot about marginalized and disenfranchised groups when it comes to voter turnout.
I can see the arguement that by refusing to vote one is not acknowledging an oppresive system. But I think voting for change is very different living in the city working a 9 to 5 job.
There is an old saying in feminist philosophy that goes "the master's tools will never dismantle the master's house". They use this to argue that women's issues are constrained by the language and academic structure of a patriarchical world.
I think however that it would be a misconception to think that political change can be had by remaining silent.
The question arose the other day "what kind of a society would the green party create. who would expect to want to live in a society where the earth is the main focus". And it dawned on me... traditionaly native people have put mother nature first. And I wondered if native people vote for the green party. Then I wondered why there isn't a native party. I ended up voting for the Marxist Leninist party in the last federal election because I was so surprised to see it on the ballot. But if i could vote for a native party i would.
That's exactly what I'm trying to do here. I could make my own party but I don't want to be the one on the front line! I've been telling the people that there is no opposition for the band council and if they had one then who and how would they run it?! I rather group together the qualified candidates and direct them as an unseen force...as we see in political history, the ones who make waves usually end up assassinated!
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